Just Right Jillian by Nicole D. Collier - hardcvr

Hardcover.  Highly recommended!!!  I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of this over a year ago, and have been dying for you all to read it ever since.  It's worth the wait!  For anyone who ever “disappeared” their personality and then had a chance to remember who they are and come back even stronger, this is a keeper! Well written and engaging — believe me, I am picky about reading juvie fiction, so much of it seems insipid and formulaic these days, but not “Just Right Jillian”! So give this great little book a try. It’s special.

In this heartfelt middle grade novel from debut author Nicole D. Collier, fifth grader Jillian must learn to speak and break free of her shell to enter her school's academic competition and keep her promise to her grandmother.

Fifth grader Jillian will do just about anything to blend in, including staying quiet even when she has the right answer. After she loses a classroom competition because she won't speak up, she sets her mind on winning her school's biggest competition. But breaking out of her shell is easier said than done, and Jillian has only a month to keep her promise to her grandmother and prove to herself that she can speak up and show everyone her true self.

A warm and relatable middle grade debut novel about family, friendship, and finding the confidence to break free from the crowd and be who you truly are.